Zara Zandieh works as an independent filmmaker and camerawoman in Berlin. She studied cinematography at the film school “filmArche” in Berlin and is currently working on her graduation film. She gives workshops, works as a cinematographer, and makes different film and video formats for various organisations and customers. In her own films and artistic work she follows a minimalistic and poetic narrative approach and language, which invites the audience to take-up unfamiliar perspectives.
Her work 'under-construction', part of the project 'Labour in a single shot' by Harun Farocki and Antje Ehmann was selected and exhibited in different countries. Her film 'Khoshbakhti' (Happiness) was officially selected for the German Competition Short Documentary and Animated Film of DokLeipzig (58th International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film 2015) & and for the official competition for the New Berlin Film Award of the Festival ACHTUNG BERLIN (2016). Other works such as 'Fragments of Ava' (2012) and 'Such a strange time it is, my dear..' (2007) were shown on various film festivals world wide. Zara Zandieh co-organised a Film Festival in Kabul on 'Gender and Society in Cinema' in 2008. She completed her MA in Gender, Ethnic Studies and Sexualities at the University of East London in 2006.
Die unabhängige Filmemacherin und Kamerafrau lebt in Berlin. Sie studierte Kamera an der filmArche Berlin und arbeitet zur Zeit an ihrem Abschlussfilm.
Ihre Arbeit 'under-construction' (2012), entstand in dem Projekt 'Eine Einstellung zur Arbeit' von Antje Ehmann und Harun Farocki und wurde auf Ausstellungen in verschiedenen Ländern gezeigt. Zuletzt wurde sie in der letzten Ausstellung der Reihe im Haus der Kulturen der Welt im Februar 2015 gezeigt. Ihr letzter Film 'Khoshbakhti' (Happiness) lief bisher auf der DokLeipzig (Internationales Leipziger Festival für Dokumentar– und Animationsfilm) im Rahmen der offiziellen Auswahl des Deutschen Wettbewerbs kurzer Dokumentar- und Animationsfilm sowie im Wettbewerb New Film Award vom Berliner Festival achtung berlin (2016).
Andere Filme wie 'Fragments of Ava' (2012) und "Such a strange time it is, my dear.." (2007) liefen auf diversen Filmfestivals weltweit. Durch ihre Filme zieht sich eine poetische schlichte Erzählweise, die die Zuschauenden einlädt, unvertraute Perspektiven einzunehmen. Sie war an der Organisation und künstlerischen Programmgestaltung des Filmfestivals SECOND TAKE - Gender and Society in Cinema in Kabul 2008 beteiligt. Sie schloss ihren MA 2006 in Gender, Ethnic Studies und Sexualities an der University of East London ab.
more on www.zarazandieh.com
Eine Einstellung zur Arbeit/ Labour in a single shot (a project by Antje Ehmann & Harun Farocki) showed my contribution UNDER CONSTRUCTION (video-installation, 2:08’ ) in:
2015 Haus der Kulturen der Welt (Berlin/ Deutschland)
2014 Sherman Gallery Boston University (Boston/ USA)
2014 Boston Center for the Arts, Mills Gallery (Boston/ USA)
2014 Universitario Arte Contemporáneo (Mexico City/ Mexico)
2013 Goethe Institut/ Max Mueller Bhavan (Bangalore/ Indien)
2013 Muzeum Sztuki (Łódź/ Polen)
2013 Lumiar Cité (Lissabon/ Portugal)
2013 Tel Aviv Museum of Art (Tel Aviv/ Israel)
FILMPROJECTS:
MEETING AVA (work in progress)
Feature film about women working in the sex industry.
WAS SAGST DU DAZU?
(Germany 2015, 1:00')
Cinema-Clip for LesMigraS, LGBTI NGO Berlin
Positions: Co-Directing, Camera, Editor
KHOSHBAKHTI [Happiness]
(Germany 2015, 5:40')
Experimental short about happiness.
Positions: concept, cinematography, editing
WIR BLEIBEN
(Germany 2012, 2:48')
Video-collage & work in process on the current rising resistance and engagement of the initiative Kotti & Co, the history of districts and (living-) spaces connected to gentrification and displacement of the inhabitants of Berlin-Kreuzberg.
Positions: conception, cinematography, editing
UNDER CONSTRUCTION (part of the project: EINE EINSTELLUNG ZUR ARBEIT/ LABOUR IN A SINGLE SHOT)
(Germany 2012, 2:08')
Video piece in the framework of an exhibition project called "Eine Einstellung zur Arbeit" hold and supervised by Antje Ehmann & Harun Farocki.
Positions: conception, cinematography, editing
http://www.labour-in-a-single-shot.net/en/films/
FRAGMENTS OF AVA
(Germany 2012, 12:24')
Shortfilm about a woman, a sex worker and an (almost) ordinary working day.
Positions: script, directing, cinematography
PREPARATION
(Germany 2011, 3:26')
Shortfilm about a woman preparing for her job.
Positions: idea/conception, cinematography
PREPARATION online: http://vimeo.com/25317702
MEINE GESCHWISTER UND ICH. (My Siblings and Me.)
(Germany 2008, 40’, German)
A documentary film by Kim Annakathrin Ronacher and Zara Zandieh on siblings of young people with disabilities.
Positions: co-directing, cinematography, editing
"SUCH A STRANGE TIME IT IS, MY DEAR...".
(Germany 2007, 79’, Farsi with English subtitles)
An oral history project and documentary film on the memories and political activism of six Iranian feminists, who now live in Exile in Berlin.
Positions: script, directing, cinematography, editing
CLOSE-DISTANCE
(Berlin/ London 2006, 36’, Farsi with English subtitles)
Documentary film raising questions about belonging and home.
Positions: script, directing, cinematography, editing
IMAGE FILMS
VISIONEN
(Germany 2014, 05:25')
Image film for the Lesbenberatung Berlin e.V./ Lesbian Counceling Center Berlin
Production: Lesbenberatung Berlin e.V.
Positions: concept, camera & editing
http://vimeo.com/89205925
CINEMATOGRAPHY:
PERFORMANCE BY ZOYA HONARMAND: YES
Berlin 2014
LEARNING TO MILK A COW
Berlin 2014
Cinematography (Super8) for one of the chapters of the work in progress film project "Stories for a Future Generation" by Juli Saragosa.
http://jsaragosa.de/projects/film-video/stories-for-a-future-generation/learning-to-milk-a-cow/
PERFORMANCE BY RAJU RAGE: THE DILEMMA OF THE DIASPORA TO DEFINE
Berlin 2014
Performance and installation as part of the NGBK exhibition: WHAT IS QUEER TODAY IS NOT QUEER TOMORROW
http://www.heidyngbk.blogspot.de/p/per.html
SHOWREEL 2014
This camera showreel shows a selection of my camera work between 2012-2014: http://vimeo.com/98849885
WIR MARIONETTEN
(Germany 2013, 04:30')
Cinematography for the video-pitch of the movie "Wir Marionetten" by the director Arianne Hinz.
Production: Arianne Hinz
KERZENKALENDER (16mm - ARRI SR3)
(Germany 2013/2014, work in progress)
DoP for the shortfilm "Kerzenkalender" written and directed by Katti Djsuk Schröter.
Production: filmArche, Katti Djsuk Schröter & Zara Zandieh
#direnayol (working title)
(Turkey 2013/2014, work in progress)
Cinematography for the documentary on the LGBT-BLOK within the Gezi uprising in June/July 2013.
Production: Kanka-Productions
FOR OURSELVES - THE CUTIEPOC SHOW (working title)
(Germany 2012/2013/2014, work in progress)
Cinematography for the web-series of the Berlin based cutiepoc film collective.
RABBIT HOLING
(Germany 2012, 26')
DoP for the short film and filmArche production directed and produced by James Rosalind.
FINDING A PLACE TO SLEEP
(Germany 2012, 7')
Cinematography for one of the chapters of the work in progress film project "Stories for a Future Generation" by Juli Saragosa.
http://jsaragosa.de/projects/film-video/stories-for-a-future-generation/finding-a-place-to-sleep/
EPK for ADOQUÉ
Spring 2011
Camera for EPK of Edward Maclean's Band "Adoqué"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xXchX9Y8uE&feature=player_embedded#!
HOMEMADE
(Germany 2010, 5:47')
Cinematography & editing of Video performance by Aicha Diallo, one of the artistic and curatorial members of the artists’ collective “Never Quiet Collective”.
HOMEMADE online: http://vimeo.com/14736151
PHOTOGRAPHY:
Photo-documentation for the ifa (Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen)
PRÊT-À-PARTAGER
Spring 2012
workshop: BERLIN TEXTURES
symposium: WHERE WE MEET
http://www.ifa.de/?id=9170
http://berlintextures.tumblr.com/workshop
https://www.facebook.com/pretapartager?filter=1
FILM FESTIVAL:
SECOND TAKE Film Festival on Gender and Society in Cinema in Kabul (2008) (http://mazefilm.de/english/kabul/index.htm)
Positions: Artistic programming of the film festival, PR, moderation, interpretor (Dari-English), training of the voice over performers, co-developing and co-realizing of the festival trailer.
FESTIVAL TRAILER online: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWBNGoNt8mI
TEACHING:
INVITED GUEST LECTURE AT HAMILTON COLLEGE (2013 in Clinton, NY/USA)
Film screening of "Such a strange time it is, my dear.." & seminar lecture in German Woman's Studies with participants from Africana Studies and Anthropology, organized and lead by professor Peggy Piesche.
VIDEO-LETTERS (2007-2009 in Berlin/Germany)
Community artist and filmmaker in the project Video Letters for media educational work with youth for the Bildungsteam Berlin/ Brandenburg e. V. (Educational Board Berlin/ Brandenburg).
Positions: Teaching filmmaking (directing, cinematography, editing) to young girls with migration history. // Making short fiction and documentary films with girls on their history (biographical work), social status, migration, anti-Semitism, racism and gender.
DRAWING SEQUENCE:
"taking a step off"
in LTTR issue no. 3/ Practice more Failure
http://www.lttr.org/journal/3
VARIOUS WORKS on Vimeo:
www.vimeo.com/zarazandieh
FINDING A PLACE TO SLEEP
http://jsaragosa.de/projects/film-video/stories-for-a-future-generation/finding-a-place-to-sleep/
LABOUR IN A SINGLE SHOT/ EINE EINSTELLUNG ZUR ARBEIT
http://www.labour-in-a-single-shot.net/en/films/
EDWARD MACLEAN'S ADOQUÉ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xXchX9Y8uE&feature=player_embedded
MEINE GESCHWISTER UND ICH.
http://www.zukunftssicherung-ev.de/meinegeschwisterundich.html
SECOND TAKE FILM FESTIVAL
http://mazefilm.de/english/kabul/index.htm
http://mazefilm.de/seiten/kabul/index.htm
filmArche
http://filmarche.de/
Europe ́s first self-organized film school and non-profit organization for film-makers.